You were some of the most prominent role models I’ve ever had. Spending hours upon hours with me in the gym each week forced you to become more than a coach. You were simultaneously a coach, teacher, second parent, therapist and friend.

You saw me at my worst, near tears (or actually crying) from frustration, pain or anxiety. You dealt with my moodiness and helped me overcome my fears.

You saw me at my best, after sticking a new skill or winning first place. You celebrated with me and let me enjoy my victory for a short time before pushing me once again to do better, to be better.

And you saw me everywhere in between.

I know I could cause frustration and headaches, but I also hope that there were days when I made your job enjoyable. See, I loved the sport, but it was without a doubt because of you. If you didn’t believe in me, if you didn’t push me, if you didn’t make it so fun, I would have given up long before injuries forced me to.

You taught me to work hard. I could get to where I wanted to, but I had to work for it. No matter how talented any of us were, we weren’t getting any better without effort.

You taught me about perseverance and resilience. There were obstacles: injuries, mental blocks, tough losses. But you always made us get up and try again.

You taught me about strength. It was not just being able to do the most push-ups (though that was certainly part of it). But I learned that I had to be mentally tough in order to work hard and find the will to win.

You showed me how to be a leader. We respected you because of your tough love when necessary, and we loved you because of your friendship through it all. You always managed to find that sweet spot, able to keep us under control, but still let us have fun.

And you taught me that winning (though nice) isn’t the end-all be-all. There were victories worth celebrating, but there were also losses. Those losses taught us more than the wins ever could. You didn’t let us sit there and sulk, but made us work harder and keep going. We evaluated what happened (sometimes this wasn’t that hard to do) and fixed our mistakes.

So, thank you. Thank you for the time you put into me. For the frustration you felt when you knew I could be better. For your support both in the gym and in my life outside (when I actually had one). For the lessons you taught me. For the strength you gave me. For the memories we made.

Thank you for being my coach.